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A forgotten post
waits for an uploaded pic
penned may 17

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i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart)

I shared those lines from the famous poem with Joshua tonight. I had written them years ago to my father on Father’s Day (back in college when I had no money for a gift so I made a gift). It’s overwhelming at times to look at my children. My cup runneth over.

The Summer of Creativity is dawning. I’ve put running and exercising on the shelf for lots of reasons. I’m not interested. I’m extremely busy. I don’t care. I’m tired. I’m not training for anything. I really should exercise, but other interests tug at my minuscule amount of spare time.

Cooking is really fun. Baking is even better. Watching the mama bird get food for her chirping babies in my back yard is so peaceful. Sipping tea and reading is luxurious. Watching Joshua’s baseball games is what spring is about for us. Listening to Elijah play the piano while doing dishes is life. Running? I think I am ready to play soccer again. Not in a league though. Maybe just kick the ball around in the yard with the kids. I need new cleats though.

I did run with Joshua at Chuy’s Hot to Trot. He’s 7, and this is his first 5K.

For David

Peach blossoms bloom a
soft pink smile to you and me.
Wedding day tribute.

This poem is from our wedding, read by Aron during the ceremony.

“At the Wedding March”
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

GOD with honour hang your head,
Groom, and grace you, bride, your bed
With lissome scions, sweet scions,
Out of hallowed bodies bred.

Each be other’s comfort kind:
Deep, deeper than divined,
Divine charity, dear charity,
Fast you ever, fast bind.

Then let the March tread our ears:
I to him turn with tears
Who to wedlock, his wonder wedlock,
Deals tríumph and immortal years.

Cool spring morning rush
Ebullient boys on the stairs
Regret fills my heart

Saturday, March 28 – Rosedale Ride

Marc & Dianne were already planning to do 40. Sarah and I had dropped down from 63 to 40 after realizing we are very busy moms with other things going on that day that we not only had to do but also wanted to do. 40 is nothing to be ashamed of, but we had a bit of a time convincing ourselves of that.

Was anyone outside on March 28? Well, if not, I’ll tell ya. A cold front blew in overnight. It was in the low 40s with a wind chill in the 30s. I can deal with cold. It’s not as fun to ride your bike when it’s cold as it is to run when it’s cold. It’s doable though, and your body does eventually warm up (if not your toes). The real issue this morning was the wind. Not a little wind either.

A few photos for your viewing pleasure.

I have never ridden in such wind before. It was not fun the way this ride is supposed to be. At the first stop (which we hadn’t planned on stopping at), Marc tells us they are doing the 20-mile route now. Sarah and I look at it each other. This is supposed to be fun, right? Are we having fun? No. Why do we need to kill ourselves and do 40?

We chose the 20 (22.9 actually), and it was (in the wise words of Sarah) one of the best decisions we’ve made in a long time. The back stretch of that ride was slow and so windy.

I made up new lyrics to a bunch of songs to make us laugh while we struggled to pedal. Sarah joined in and came up with some goodies. Enjoy, and I hope you sing along.

Bob Seger – Against the Wind

“Against the wind…I’m colder now but still riding against the wind.”

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Christopher Cross – Ride like the Wind

“I’ve got such a long way to go…
to make it to Samsung parking lot.
So I ride…ride in the wind.”

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Patrick Swayze – She’s like the Wind

“She hates wind in her face.
She’s pedaling but going no place.”

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Bette Midler – Wind Beneath my Wings

“Did you ever know that I can pedal
and not get anywhere at all?
I can ride faster than a snail
when the wind blows like a gale.”

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The Village People – YMCA

“We are riding in the W-I-N-D (insert hand movements)
Oh yes, we’re riding into the W-I-N-D.
It blows from the front.
And it blows from the side.
No matter which way we go, it blows.
Because we’re riding in the W-I-N-D
Oh yes, we’re riding in the W-I-N-D.”

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The Association – Everyone knows it’s Windy

“Who’s blowing me back while I fiercely pedal?
Who’s tipping my bike over sideways?
Who’s bending down to knock me clean off?
Everyone knows it’s Windy!”

So, in honor of the Wind, we stopped at Wendy’s for my usual half-n-half soda (half coke, half diet coke). Well, I had to get a picture for the ol’ blog. Sarah snapped this brilliant photo…

You are the Wendy’s beneath my wings.

Sunday, March 22 – 50 mile ride to San Marcos with Sarah, Dianne & Michelle. There were some very slow-going spots due to a combo of wind and inclines. We finally got to San Marcos about 45 minutes later than planned.

Dianne’s hubby Marc was waiting with their son, Alex. See, I’m not the only family who has to swap out workouts and take turns and do all sorts of somersaults just so both parents have a turn to train.

Dianne and Michelle had only planned to ride to SM, so they were blissfully loading up their bikes while Sarah and I stretched and braced ourselves for the ride back with Marc. The ride back was much more pleasant and much less windy, and we finished that same distance 30 minutes faster.

This must be the race meant for me!

Fat Ass Trail Run

I don’t miss the long runs.
There’s no time in my day to miss them.
Sarah and I have been cycling toward Rosedale on March 28.
It’s hard to get back in gear.
All of our long rides,
I’ve wondered how I rode 25 miles in the middle of a triathlon.
Man, I was in shape then.

So, dv laid out his goals for the world to read (whoever might the world be?).
I shall do the same, but I warn you. If you are here to read about running goals, you might need to hop off the track.

1. Complete 3 projects that have been looming over me for months and months. Complete them by May 15.

2. Rosedale Ride on March 28 – 65 miles

3. Rogue Trail Series:
May 3 – The Maze 10K Trail Run
May 31 – The Loop 10K Trail Run (they scheduled this early this year just for me, I’m sure!)
June 21 – The Bluff 10K Trail Run (um, sounds scary for clumsy folk)

And now, the Pièce de résistance:

4. Clean up my poems and write this summer. I won’t be working. I’ll have hours to compose while my kids swim and play. I am always writing in my head, so my big goal is to put pen to paper. Even if no one ever reads them. Yup. Maybe one day, I’ll go to a writing workshop. Or a bunch of workshops. I think they call that an MFA.

My 3M experience is forgettable. I’m happy for Sarah as she did fabulous.

We rarely had a training run where both of us felt good. One week, I’d be feeling superb while Sarah struggled. The next week I was whining (as usual) while Sarah was strong.

It didn’t matter the distance or terrain. It didn’t matter if it was thick and warm or crunchy and cool. We ran at odd times to accommodate our odd-mom schedules. There was one long run where we both felt like crap. We met at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon as that was the soonest we could both meet. We advise anyone to avoid running at 1pm on a fairly empty stomach.

I wasn’t as dedicated this year. I didn’t run as much or train as long. I started out fine, and Sarah and I had a race plan. I think it was between mile 2 and 3 that I knew something was wrong with me. I shook it off and thought I’d feel better after a Gu at the 5.5 mile water stop. I didn’t really feel better at all. I think I whined a bunch. I slowed us down from our race goal. At mile 7 I got quit dizzy and pulled out. I sent Sarah on with instructions for the rest of the race. She didn’t want to leave me, but I didn’t want to mess her 1st half-marathon up for her.

I walked a bit and thought I could catch her. Each time I ran, I’d feel nauseous and as though I was running 400s rather than a snail pace. It ached everywhere. I saw Linda cheering between mile 8 and 9 and almost quit as I asked if her car was nearby. Then I thought of David. He’d finished already. He’d given fibers of himself he didn’t know were there (I’m not saying that b/c that is what he told me after the race, I’m saying that b/c that is what I knew at the time he’d done). I thought of him jogging back down the course to meet us, looking for me, seeing Sarah, hearing her say I was not well and back further, him running along and not finding me.

I kept going. I tried to run. I walked. I made it to Duval and started to cry. I hung my head as I passed cheering Gazelles hoping they wouldn’t recognize DV’s lame-ass wife. By this point, I knew David was close. I tried to stop crying. Tried to stop feeling sorry for myself for feeling sick and sucking. Then I saw him. He was running on the sidewalk toward me. I couldn’t hold back my stinging tears anymore. The woman next to me gave a surprised look at my sob as I wiped my eyes and shielded my face from the world.

He knew already that I wasn’t well. He’d passed all of my running friends: Erin, Barb, Gayatri, Leslie, and Sarah. He saw me struggle, saw me pull out and dry heave, heard me lament about the first 10 miles, and heard me whine. He stayed with me until the last 200 meters where he pealed off to avoid crossing the finish line again with his chip.

Even after the way I felt, how I struggled, how I wanted to quit from feeling sick and dizzy and weak, I felt like I didn’t try hard enough. Isn’t that funny?

No race ever has been that hard for me. I am glad I finished. I hate that I took so long to do it. I don’t want to hear cheer-me-ups or any such nonsense.

Let’s all clap for Sarah as she finished her first half-marathon! Now we are on to training of the Rosedale Ride on March 28.

Ah, running. What can I say?

Humid, sticky long run last Friday morning with Sarah, Barb and Leslie A. Felt like a moist spring morning. Doesn’t G-tree dislike me saying “moist” or was that someone else? G-tree, here’s a “moist” shout-out for ya.

Circuit is still one of my favorites. Can’t get used to this Texas weather even though I’ve never lived anywhere else. Wanted fewer clothes running on Friday. Wanted more clothes Monday night at the AHS track for circuit. Perfect weather for running today, and I see some cold air is on slate for tomorrow. Maybe this year I’ll finally purchase decent running tights??

A perfect time this afternoon with my boys. A bit of whining on their part for going to the trail (really, it wasn’t me whining for a change). Once they settled it that we were going to the trail to bike and run, they were fine. We headed out the NE side of the trail to the 5 mile marker and back. I wanted a short tempo run, but it’s always hard with kids in tow (they were on their bikes).

Joshua asked for a stop at a lovely little tree patch before the wooden foot bridge east of The Four Seasons. There’s a little art statue thing that we admired. About 20 ducks were having a river party, and Joshua looked like a model lazily leaning against a gorgeous tree in its fall party clothes. The squirrels were like kittens scampering up for food. Some kind soul had left some peanuts on the statue, which we we tossed to them. I really think I could have petted them if I’d wanted to. They came closer when we did the “Tchk-Tchk-Tchk” of kitten and cat calling.

So, we took about a 5-minute break during my tempo run. I think that says a lot about what kind of runner I am. I don’t know many folks who pay much attention to the stunning scenery offered at Lady Bird Lake. If they do, most are too serious to actually stop. That stop Joshua requested today was the highlight of my run and my day.